Cruisers are popular among casual bicyclists and vacationers because they are very stable and easy to ride, but their heavy weight and balloon tires tend to make them rather slow. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, bicycles imported from Great Britain and Continental Europe became popular, especially lighter and more nimble sports roadster models or “English racer”. These models featured three-speed gearing, taller wheels, narrower tires and lighter weight[11] and greater hill-climbing ability. By the late 1950s, U.S. manufacturers such as Schwinn ramped up production of the English racer.[12] Schwinn was no stranger to this style. These prewar bikes could be had with imported half inch pitch drivetrains with freewheels and hand brakes.
Their younger siblings have begun building their own custom “lowrider bikes”. Lowrider bicycles are usually built on old Schwinn Sting-Ray or other “muscle bike” frames, but the entire lowrider schwinn hybrid bike look of “old school” accessories such as springer forks and bullet headlights is in the cruiser tradition. Several manufacturers offer “chopper” style bikes in their cruiser range.
If you haven’t heard of these guys, but have a thing for quality, short documentary films, then click that link. So “cruiser” may have originated as one model name used by one distributor of the motorbike style of bicycles. Kevin Cortez is an editor for Runner’s World, Bicycling, and Popular Mechanics covering reviews. A culture and product journalist for over ten years, he’s an expert in men’s style, technology, gaming, coffee, e-bikes, hiking, gear, and all things outdoors.
Beefy 650b x 2.3-inch tires roll smoothly on the road but come to your rescue when the pavement gets sketchy, or a gravel detour piques your curiosity. Oh, are you going pick up some groceries or go to a friend’s schwinn cruiser bike house and pick something up? Whatever you do, you do need a good partner to help you with it. Our electric bikes are your best friend, powerful and sturdy enough to help you get things done safely and quickly.
The Spitfire was reintroduced as a heavyweight for 1977 and was sold through 1979 with reissue S2s that were made in Hungary. In 1980, Schwinn introduced the Cruiser Series which has survived multiple iterations and has been offered more or less continuously through present. The most desirable Cruisers are the Cruiser, Deluxe Cruiser and Cruiser 5.
In postwar production, Schwinn began producing lightweights again in the mid 40s with models such as the New World. These bikes could be had with Sturmey Archer 3 speeds from England and had chromoly tubing. To popularize these bicycles they enlisted the help of Hollywood celebrities. Ronald Reagan is seen riding one in the 1947 Schwinn catalog. The Larkspur 1 is a comfortable, cruisy, mixte-inspired bike that delivers big doses of fun. It’s built around a tough steel frame and fork that’s not scared of rough paths or pub crawls.